Create Extra Storage In The Entryway
Since we’ve moved to The Country House, something that we’ve struggled with is storage space. Especially, after we turned our master closet into a sweet little nursery. Living in only 1300 square feet with 5 people makes finding or adding storage solutions many times difficult. However, we’ve been able to create an entryway with extra storage by whipping up a cool Ikea shoe storage hack!
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Once we knew that our master closet was going to be transformed, we had to come up with a game plan for all of the stuff already inside.
We sorted and donated the things we didn’t love. Our clothing took up residence in a small hallway closet. But that left us with no place for our shoes, hats, belts, scarves, etc. We did try to hang a shoe rack over the inside of the closet door. However, the shoes hit the hanging clothes and fell off the rack constantly. It was just a huge mess!
After some brainstorming and online storage system browsing, we decided to buy two Ikea shoe storage cabinets and add them to our entry area. The original set up of each cabinet left several inches of space between the center of the cabinets. They ended up extending beyond the hallway wall just a bit, which looked pretty wonky.
So, we decided to remove the original tops, slide the cabinets together, and attach a new stained/painted top to make them look more like one unit. We also replaced the old knobs for some ring pulls that have a more unique look.
Welcome Sign | Nesting Houses | Ring Pull
Each cabinet is supposed to hold a minimum of 12 pairs of shoes, but depending on the size and style, you can definitely fit more. I’m a size 7.5-8 and have over 20 pairs inside of one cabinet!
I love the extra drawers at the top of the cabinets too! Perfect for cold weather accessories.
You truly realize how much stuff you have when you don’t have a place to put it. Adding this shoe cabinet storage to our entryway has helped us with a major storage struggle. The depth of the cabinets is perfect for our small space and doesn’t impose too much on the room. We are so happy with how this project/hack turned out!
28 Comments
Kendra | www.joyinourhome.com
It’s looks beautiful, Erin and perfect way to add storage!
Erin
Thanks so much, Kendra! It has definitely helped out!
Cristene
Hi. Just wondering what stain you used to the wood? Thanks.
Avery
Looks stunning! Definitely using this in my own home.
Erin
You totally should do it! :P
Andrea
I love this idea! What kind of wood did you use on the top and what size welcome sign did you order? Thanks.
Erin
Hey, Andrea! I think we used pine for the top and ordered the 36×13 welcome sign. Hope that helps!
Susie
What color is on your wall? I’m having a hard time finding a white that doesn’t make my cabinet look to yellow!
Erin
Hi Susie,
The wall color in this photo is actually just a flat white builder grade paint (I’m not sure of the brand.) However, we really like Sherwin Williams Alabaster. We used it on our kitchen cabinets (I don’t have photos up of that yet) and also in our nursery and we love it! It is a griege-white, so pretty neutral. I also love Behr Polar Behr. It is the color that I paint all of our white furniture. I hope that helps and let me know if you have any more questions!
Jess
Hey!
What size is the stained wood top?
Thanks!
Erin
It is 12” x 69”.
Tamara
Looks beautiful!! Where did you actually get the wood top from, and what’s the size you ordered?
Erin
Hi Tamara,
We bought the wood from our local hardware store (Menards) and cut it to size ourselves. 12”x 68” However, many hardware stores will cut the wood for you for a small charge! Then, I stained the wood with Old Barn Milk Paint Stain in Weathered and painted the top white. Hope that helps!
Chelsea
I love it! I have two of these I want to combine but how can I get the tops off without breaking the drawer?
Erin
You should be able to remove the top drawers then unscrew the tops.
Carrie Yoder
I really like this idea but I live in Northern Indiana. Are you going to put wet shoes in there? Also, what is the divider in the middle? When I look it up on Ikea they don’t have the little divider.
Erin
We are in northwest Ohio, so I understand wet shoes! If they are wet, we let them dry in a tray next to the door. Then put them in when they have dried.
Sothea
Where did you get the welcome sign from?
Erin
Hi Sothea,
I bought the sign on Etsy. You can find it here- http://shrsl.com/1bbbe. I hope that helps!
Allie M
Hi there! Just wondering- how wide are the two cabinets combined (not the surface you added, I see those measurements above) once you removed the top surfaces that came with the cabinets? Trying to see if I have space to put two of these on a wall… they’re BARELY too wide with the dimensions I see on Ikea’s site.
Erin
Excluding the top piece, the two cabinets together are 65 1/4 inches wide. Hope that helps!
Stephanie Branham
Did you nail them to the wall? Do they have to be nailed to the wall to make them secure?
Erin
Hi Stephanie,
The cabinets must be attached to the wall and they come with predrilled holes in the back to make it easier.
Robin
You did a great job! Would you mind sharing where you found your drawer pulls?
Thank you!
Alain
Can you tell me how you attached the top to the cabinets please? Thank you :)
Erin
Hi Alain,
We used L brackets to attach the top. I hope that helps!
Emilie G
Hi Erin,
Where did you find the ring pulls? They’re great!
Thanks,
Emilie
Erin
Hey Emilie! I linked the ring pulls up in the post right below the 4th photo. You can find the exact ones we purchased there. :)